


sleigh contest

by AmandaBecker



Series: Christmas is coming [1]
Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen
Genre: 12 Days of Sanditon, F/M, twelve days of sanditon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:02:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21805612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmandaBecker/pseuds/AmandaBecker
Summary: This is a series of one shots for the "12 days of Sanditon" challenge by sanditoncreative on tumbrl.Some of the one shots are similar to the original, just a different season.Others are independent stories...This is "sleigh contest".Instead of playing cricket, the workers and gentlemen measure their strength in a race with the sleigh.In the ice-cold and snow-covered - and yet so romantic Sanditon.Tom has gone home and Charlotte takes his place....
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood & Sidney Parker, Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker
Series: Christmas is coming [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571278
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50





	sleigh contest

**Author's Note:**

> Some quotes are form the series. I own nothing – only the idea for this story.
> 
> For the "12 days of sanditon challenge“ by sanditoncreative.
> 
> Please forgive all my historical and linguistic mistakes, english is not my native language.

The snow crunched under her feet. The wind blew strongly into her face, yet she wanted to climb this hill. Charlotte slipped a few times, but that didn't bother her. It was cold and her dress was dirty and damp from the snow. Her boots had a good hold and now she had finally arrived at the top.

"Miss Heywood," he said in surprise.  
"What? You thought only because I am a woman..." she asked irritated.  
"No, of course not." He handed her the rope for the sleigh, although he looked a bit doubting.  
"So, that you get faster, lean back."  
"Thank you, I know what I'm doing."  
"If it's too slippery, you better stick to the markings."  
"Thank you, but I know exactly what I'm doing. And now please," Charlotte made a shooing away gesture, "I am concentrating and you putting me off!"

Confusion about this statement scurried over Sidney's face. Had she noticed what she had just said?  
He was able to distract her? Was that good or rather bad? He couldn't help grinning.  
She looked at him highly concentrated and he looked away quickly, not that his unfamiliar smile made her all the more confused.  
Ha! Who would have thought that? Miss Charlotte Heywood scolds him for distracting her.

Of course, it wasn't proper for a young lady with flying skirts to rush down the mountain, so she clasped the wet fabric of her dress under her legs as best she could. Without showing even a little of her stockings, although Sidney could catch a glimpse strip of brown cloth. Luckily she was wearing warm stockings. It was so bitterly cold. He hoped with all his heart that she wouldn't get sick. That would be a drama after all. 

Sanditon in winter was bitterly cold but beautiful. He could imagine later sitting with her in front of the fireplace and maybe drinking a hot punch.  
And enjoying the sight of her blushing face. A smile spread across his face that even Babington, who had only eyes for Miss Denham, noticed.

"Why are you grinning like that?"  
"Oh, because, erm...well, Miss Heywood increases our chances of winning."  
"Do you think so?"   
"She’s much smaller and lighter than Tom, so she can go much further."  
"Then push her hard." Babington teased with a grin and Sidney was a bit embarrassed.  
Of course he also pushed his brother with a strong push against the shoulders. But he could not do that with Miss Heywood.  
If he pushes the sled hard, she could fall down, like it happened this afternoon with Alicia and Jenny.  
Sidney stood hesitantly behind her.

"Somebody might want to give me a big push." She said to no one in particular, but then turned to him and looked at him expectantly with her big eyes.  
Her blushing cheeks made her eyes shine bright.

"Where should I... erm?" asked Sidney and flinched imperceptibly.  
"I mean, on the sleigh, you could..."

"I know you have my permission to push my back..." her redness got a little darker and she closed her eyes and looked forward again.  
Coming closer he breathed deeply. Three times. Despite the many layers of clothing, he could feel her flinch as he touched her back.  
She was so small that he thought his hands would graze in forbidden places if he laid them side by side on her middle back.  
So he decided to put one hand on her lower back and one hand under her shoulder blades.  
As he had done before, she took deep breaths. Three times. Looking at him over her shoulder, slightly trembling.  
Whether it was his hands or the cold, he couldn't tell.

The reverend told them it was her turn now and raised the red flag in his hand.  
"Three, two, go!"

Sidney gave Charlotte a push. She leaned back and flew down the mountain. As Sidney had already thought, she came much further than all the others.  
There the reverend ran to ram the red flag into the snow. But he ignored Charlotte to help her up.  
As she stood up and turned with the most incredible smile Sidney had ever seen on her face, he was lost. 

Babington came over to him and nudged him with his shoulder.

"Oh, old boy, I didn't know!"  
"What...?" Sidney asked confused.  
"You're smiling at Miss Heywood." His friend noticed dry and grinned even wider.  
"She brought us the win." Only therefore, really! Sidney tried to convince himself.  
"Yes, sure." Babington mumbled and nodded at his old friend.  
"Let's see what Stringer does when he arrives... by her side." He noticed while he walked away.

A burning sensation made its way through Sidney's body. What was that strange feeling?  
His heart was beating wildly and a rage was spreading inside him, though he didn't know why he was furious.  
And to whom. He looked over at Babington who gave him a knowing look.

It was Mr Stringer's turn now, and although he was making good progress, he was so far from Charlotte that he couldn't even go to her, after all, they were opponents.

"Last now, Mr Parker!" called the reverend and Sidney sat down on the last of the remaining sleighs. 

"I'm trying to get you as close to her as possible. But I'm afraid you're further away than Stringer."  
"Babington!" he shouted irritated, "what's this all about?"

"Three, two, go!" the call came from below and Babington pushed so hard that he almost fell forward. 

Sidney glided over the snow and had lost sight of everything else, only seeing Charlotte's face. She cheered and clapped.  
Arthur was now standing next to her and the two jumped excitedly on the spot. Until Sidney stopped.  
He hadn't got as far as Miss Heywood, but still further than James Stringer. It was a clear victory.

"Well done Sidney!" his brother shouted,  
"And you as well, Miss Heywood. You're a great team!" called Arthur and embraced Sidney exuberantly as he came closer.  
Sidney couldn't take his eyes off her as she approached. But then she stopped hesitantly.  
Detached by his brother, he strolled towards her as if it were a sunny day on the beach and not an ice-cold wind whipping day in December.

"Is that a smile I detected, Mr Parker?" she happily asked.  
"That might well be the case." He said back and stroked his hair. Unlike him, she was wearing a coarsely knitted dark red cap.  
It resembled her thick scarf covered with ice crystals and her gloves, which she now held in her hand.  
Her tender fingers were already red and he told her to put them over again.

"Luckily it's over now," she said happily. "I desperately need a warm punch in front of the fireplace."

Sidney's heart made a small bounce in his chest and he nodded to her sincerely.

"My thoughts exactly!"


End file.
